Operation Rogue One
by WickedRocksSoMuch
Summary: Galen Erso has been coerced by the Empire into building a machine that can level cities to the ground. Now, his daughter has been enlisted by the secret organization the Alliance to put a stop to it. Together with Agent Cassian Andor and a highly dysfunctional group of retired spies, Jyn is going to have to save the world, or die trying.


To say that Jyn Erso didn't trust easily would be an understatement. Jyn had learned the hard way that trusting people ended up with her stranded in the middle of Kazakhstan with only a knife and her wits. She had been 16.

She was 24 now, and was walking home from work. Most young women walk home at night with their keys held firmly between their index and middle fingers. Jyn had seven concealed knives and a police baton she'd stolen on one of her many trips in and out of jail. Men came up to her, but tended to limp away, clutching at various body parts.

Jyn rounded the corner by her apartment, and the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. Jyn heard quiet footsteps behind her and casually glanced around. There was a man in a dark leather jacket. As if in response to Jyn's gaze, he turned onto a side street and she lost sight of him. Tugging her coat around her, Jyn hurried home. It had been a long day, and she just wanted a hot cup of tea and time with her cat Kyber. She shouldered her bag more securely as she made her way into her apartment building.

The fight or flight response that had been triggered at the sight of the man hadn't faded yet and Jyn felt wide awake as she made her way up the stairs (the elevator had been broken for years). She finally made it to her floor and opened the door to her apartment. She flicked the light switch, but nothing happened.

"Fucking landlord," she muttered. In a practised motion, Jyn slammed a hand directly under the switch. The lights flickered before finally turning on. Dropping her bag on the floor, Jyn made her way into the tiny living room and collapsed onto the only chair. She didn't get much company.

Kyber jumped into her lap, purring idly, and rubbed her head against Jyn's hand. For the first time that day, Jyn smiled.

"Good of you to finally come home Miss Erso-"

Jyn was on her feet with a knife in either hand before the speaker had finished. The man quickly held up his hands.

"There's no need for violence, Miss Erso," he said in the deeply unimpressed tones unique to the British aristocracy.

"That's debateable," Jyn replied, one knife pointed between the man's eyes, "I suggest you start talking."

The man cleared his throat.

"My name is Agent Tuesso, I represent a secret agency known as the Alliance. We're looking for your father."

"Well, that makes two of us," Jyn said bitterly.

"We believe you can help us find him."

"I wish I could, but unfortunately I don't want to. Now get out."

The man frowned. He looked at something (someone) behind Jyn, and she heard rather than felt the heavy thud of something hitting the back of her head. The last thing she saw before hitting the ground was Kyber viciously latching onto Agent Tuesso's hand and attempting to bite his fingers off. There was a smile on her face as she drifted towards unconsciousness.

The first thing she registered was that she was in a bed. It wasn't hers; too clean. She fought the urge to open her eyes, and kept her breathing deep and even. Years of waking in uncertain situations had taught Jyn not to move immediately. People tended to give away information when they thought you were still sleeping.

"Honestly Kay, was it too much to ask to bring her back in one piece?" asked a wry voice with a thick Mexican accent.

"She wasn't going to cooperate," retorted the annoyed voice that Jyn already recognized as belonging to Agent Tuesso.

"Because you were a stranger in her apartment at night, what were you expecting to happen?" Jyn suddenly had the overwhelming feeling that the man was trying to stifle his laughter. Agent Tuesso grumbled something under his breath that Jyn didn't quite catch, but she thought it might've had something to do with cats. This time the other man did laugh. Jyn heard a door open and then footsteps as the men left.

Jyn slowly sat up, gingerly touching the back of her head to check for blood. When her hand came away clean, she felt safe to stand up. Too quickly, as it turned out. She woke up on the floor a few seconds later, and got up more carefully.

Jyn looked carefully around the room for cameras. Seeing none, she began to pat down her clothing. Her police baton and six of the knives were gone, but one remained. Physically and emotionally armed with that knowledge, Jyn opened the door. She looked out into the corridor of what looked like a very rich man's apocalypse bunker. Sticking her knife into the top of her boot, Jyn made her way towards the raised voices coming from the room at the far end of the hallway.

Whoever had designed the Alliance headquarters had poured their heart into this room. The arched ceilings had little arched ceilings of their own. The walls were covered in screens that switched from one location to another in the blink of an eye. In the centre of the room was the kind of round table that trees dream of becoming when they grow up. Around it, people were arguing in the low, passive-aggressive voices that divorced parents use when their children are in the room.

Agent Tuesso was standing by the right wall, hands conspicuously bandaged. Jyn smiled smugly and decided to buy Kyber cat treats at the earliest opportunity. There was a man standing next to Tuesso, and he was the only one who looked up when Jyn entered. Their eyes met, and both looked away.

"She's awake," he said. The men and women who were arguing looked over at Jyn, who suddenly wished that she had all her weapons.

"Miss Erso, welcome to the Alliance," said a red-headed woman who looked as though she were in charge. The words were said warmly, but the glare that was directed at the man beside her belied them.

"Yes, thanks ever so much for the concussion," Jyn retorted, crossing her arms in front of her. The woman grimaced.

"It was not our intention to harm you, dear. My name is Mon Mothma, and I'm the senior commanding officer of this operation. This is Draven, my second in command," she motioned to the man next to her, who scowled. "We only wished to request your help in finding your father."

"And I told you I have no idea where he is," Jyn said exasperatedly.

"But you do know where Saw Gerrera is," said the man by Tuesso. Jyn looked up at him quickly.

"What makes you say that?" she demanded.

"Miss Erso," Mon Mothma cut in, "we think that Gerrera may have information that can help us find your father. We believe that he's been enlisted to work for one of the most dangerous organizations in the world."

"Who, Walmart?" Jyn shot back.

"No, dear, the Empire," Mon Mothma said seriously. Jyn scoffed.

"The political party? The tax hike was a bit much, I'll admit, that doesn't make them _evil_ ," she said.

"No, but building weapons of mass destruction does," said the man by Tuesso.

"Don't be ridiculous," Jyn said, but there was hesitation in her voice. Mon Mothma leaned forward.

"We believe that the Empire is building a weapon with the ability to destroy entire cities, maybe even countries. Finding your father is the key to making sure that doesn't happen. Agent Andor will lead a team, including you, to find Gerrera. Once we have your father's location, you are of course free to go," Mothma said.

In the depths of her soul, Jyn wished that she was at home with Kyber and her cup of tea.

"Will you help us?" asked the man, Agent Andor. Jyn considered him for a moment.

"Yes," she said reluctantly, "but only until we've found my father."

"Of course," said Agent Cassian Andor, and their eyes met again. Jyn looked away first.


End file.
